How Inter Milan’s Coppa Italia triumph will impact Juventus & other UCL contenders | OneFootball

Juventus and their European rivals are fighting for a place in the Champions League, but they have at least guaranteed a spot in the Europa League.

The Bianconeri are currently embroiled in a razor-thin race for the UCL, involving four other clubs.

Inter have already coasted their way towards the Scudetto title, leaving the competition in the dust. This includes Napoli, who have been dropping precious points in recent weeks.

Antonio Conte’s men could have secured Champions League football by beating Bologna at home on Monday, but they instead suffered a 2-3 defeat.

Napoli remain second in the table, two points ahead of Juventus, who leapfrogged Milan to third place.

The Rossoneri are enduring a steep decline under Max Allegri, so they currently share fourth place with Roma, just one behind the Bianconeri, while Como remain very much in the mix, with only two points separating them from Milan and the Giallorossi.

What changes for Juventus, Milan & Roma after Inter’s Coppa Italia win

According to the rules, the first four teams in Serie A qualify for the Champions League, while the club that finishes 5th accompanies the Coppa Italia winner to the Europa League. Finally, the 6th-placed side heads to the Conference League.

However, Lazio squandered their only remaining opportunity to qualify for Europe, falling short in the Coppa Italia final against Inter.

Since the Nerazzurri had already booked their place in the Champions League as the Scudetto winners, the Europa League spot allocated to the Coppa Italia winner will instead be handed to the club that finishes 6th in the league.

Moreover, Atalanta, who have already guaranteed a 7th-place finish, have now qualified for the Conference League.

Conference League no longer an option for Juventus

Napoli, Juventus, Milan, Roma, and Como will continue to battle for the three remaining Champions League spots alongside Inter, but at least the two teams that will miss out on UCL football are guaranteed to play in the Europa League rather than the Conference League, which is considered Europe’s third-tier competition, and thus the least desired.

So while this can be considered a small boost for the aforementioned clubs, failing to finish in the Top 4 would be a massive disappointment for Juventus on a sporting and financial level.

The good news for Luciano Spalletti’s men is that their fate remains within their own hands, but they still have to beat their rivals, Fiorentina and Torino, in the final two rounds of the season.